Global opportunities for Young Artists: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture has opened applications for its ‘Emerging New Media Artists’ educational programme
This exciting educational programme will be hosted in the soon-to-open Diriyah Art Futures centre, the region’s first facility dedicated to New Media Arts
The Saudi Ministry of Culture has announced a call for applications for its ‘Emerging New Media Artist’ Programme, set to take place at the soon-to-open Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) centre. The programme, which is targeted at emerging creatives from within the region and beyond, provides emerging artists with access to cutting-edge professional equipment, a production budget, and a wide range of multidisciplinary learning opportunities, including personal mentorship from prominent international digital artists.
The programme is part of a wider partnership between the Ministry and Diriyah Company which will be launching Diriyah Art Futures as the region’s first centre dedicated to New Media Arts.
DAF aims to facilitate creativity across various visual art disciplines through education, empowerment, and the creation of an environment that fosters artistic imagination. Located in Historical Diriyah, the centre will nurture the thriving artistic scene in Saudi Arabia and reaffirm the site’s position as a global cultural destination.
Designed in collaboration with Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains in France, DAF’s Emerging New Media Artists Programme is a one-year long programme supporting creative production training.
The call for applications for DAF’s Emerging New Media Artists Educational Programme is now open. Applicants should be 35 years or younger, at graduate or postgraduate completion stage and have experience in developing and creating digital and new media arts.
Important Dates: Application deadline April 29th 2024
September 2024: Programme begins
You can find information, selection criteria and info on how to apply to the programme HERE.
More info: @dafmoc
About Diriyah Art Futures
Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) is an arts, research and education centre driven by a belief in the power of interdisciplinary creative practice at the intersection of art, science, and technology. Developed by the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia, DAF is the region’s first institution dedicated to New Media Arts. It is a location for collaboration, speculation and production by creative practitioners from across the globe, focused on research, documentation and producing new work.
Diriyah Art Futures invites participation from artists and scholars through upcoming public activities, educational programming, artistic and research residencies and grant opportunities. It aims to establish Saudi Arabia as a global centre for New Media and Digital Art, while amplifying the voices of the region in its engagement with art, science, and technology.
Set in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Diriyah, DAF reflects the Ministry of Culture’s commitment to preserving the country’s unique heritage while playing a pioneering role in developing and leading new art practices that will shape the future of art and humanity.
What’s on offer at DAF? Created as part of Saudi Vision 2030, DAF is committed to the advancement of art, science and technology in KSA and the MENA region. The multidisciplinary centre offers long- and short-term educational programmes taught by renowned new media artists and scholars, an exhibition space, and labs with state-of-the-art equipment. Complemented by content production activities and a robust research output, DAF connects the worlds of art and science and offers a platform for industry professionals from different disciplines to connect, challenge their perceptions and collaborate.
DAF has developed an Emerging New Media Artists Programme in collaboration with Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains in France. This one-year programme of creative production training provides emerging artists with access to cutting-edge professional equipment and a production budget, as well as a wide range of multidisciplinary learning opportunities. It includes theoretical, conceptual and technical learning seminars, as well as personal mentorship by prominent international digital artists. The programme is aimed at emerging creatives from all over the world, with a focus on those from the Middle East and North Africa.
The building DAF’s iconic 6,550-square-metre hub in Diriyah was designed by the Italian architectural firm Schiattarella Associati, known for its creative and innovative work across the fields of design and architecture. The modern centre is in the heart of an ancient UNESCO World Heritage Site, symbolising DAF’s future-forward approach towards the arts, while celebrating Saudi Arabia’s rich culture and history.
Director of DAF, Dr. Haytham Nawar Haytham Nawar is the Director of Diriyah Art Futures. The former chair of the Department of the Arts at the American University in Cairo, he is a practicing artist and designer, as well as a scholar in the fields of art and design.
Nawar has built his professional and academic career over the past two decades, simultaneously fulfilling different roles. He is actively researching, writing, and publishing in the field of design history and practices, with a focus on the Arab World and Africa.
Nawar has participated in several international exhibitions, biennales and triennials since 1999. Most importantly, in 2015, he presented The Seven Days, The Heavens and The Earth as part of the In the Eye of Thunderstorm exhibition at the 56th Venice Biennale, Italy.
Dr. Nawar is a two-time Fulbright Grantee. Besides his academic career, he is the founding director of Cairotronica, the Cairo International Electronic and New Media Arts Festival. Dr. Nawar researches, writes and publishes in the field of design history and practices with a focus on the Arab world and Africa. He is interested in multiscriptual design, Arabic type design and typography, and co-authored the first book about graphic design in the Arab World, titled A History of Arab Graphic Design.
Diriyah Art Futures Website:daf.moc.gov.sa/en/
Twitter: twitter.com/DAFmoc
Instagram: @dafmoc
